“[Why Don’t Women Rule the World?] is unlike other texts in its comparative approach and strong theoretical underpinnings. It has interesting pedagogical features that will resonate with comparative scholars, Americanists and those who integrate public policy analysis into the course.”
—Rebecca E. Deen, University of Texas at Arlington

Why don’t women have more influence over the way the world is structured?

Written by four leaders within the national and international academic caucuses on women and politics, Why Don't Women Rule the World? helps students to understand how the underrepresentation of women manifests within politics, and the impact this has on policy. Grounded in theory with practical, job-related activities, the book offers a thorough introduction to the study of women and politics, and will bolster students’ political interests, ambitions, and efficacy.

Key Features:

A comparative perspective expands students’ awareness of their own intersectional identities and the varying effects of patriarchy on women worldwide.

A variety of policy areas highlighted throughout the book illustrates how different theories are applied to real-world situations.

Multiple political engagement activities keep students engaged with the content.

Preface

Acknowledgements

About the Authors

CHAPTER 1 • Why Don’t Women Rule the World?

The Creation of Patriarchy

Reification and the Social Construction of Reality

Conclusion

Plan of the Book

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 2 • History of Women in Politics

Colonial History

The First Wave

The Second Wave

The Third Wave

Conclusion

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 3 • Public Opinion

How Individuals Form Opinions About Gender Issues

How Sex Influences Public Opinion

Partisan Preferences and Voting Behavior

Conclusion

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 4 • Political Ambition

Promoting Women’s Access and Ambition

Gender Socialization and Political Ambition

Traditional Family Role Orientations

The Masculinized Ethos of Politics

Women’s Gendered Psyche

Conclusion

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 5 • When Women Run

When and Where Women Candidates Emerge

Campaign Finance

Women as Candidates in 2018

Dismantling the Masculine Ethos of Politics in 2018 and Beyond

Conclusion

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 6 • Women in Legislatures

Women’s Representation in Legislatures Around the World

Theories of Representation

The Effect of Women’s Representation in Legislative Bodies

The Behavior of Individual Women Legislators

Women as Institutional Leaders

Effects Outside the Institution

How to Increase the Number of Women in Legislative Office

Conclusion

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 7 • Women in the Executive

Patriarchy, Military Masculinity, and Executive Stereotypes

Gender Stereotypes in Leadership and the Presidency: Public Support and Media

Descriptive Representation in Parts of the Executive

Women in Cabinets: The United States and in Comparative Perspective

Women’s Policy Agencies

Women in State and Local Institutions

Substantive and Symbolic Representation in Executive Institutions

Conclusion

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 8 • Women in the Judiciary

Women as Lawyers and in Law School

Women as Public Legal Officials

The Impact of Women in the Judicial Branch

The Effect of the Courts on Women’s Lives

Increasing the Representation of Women in the Judicial Branch

Conclusion

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 9 • Women in Social Movements

Interest Groups, Social Movements, and Social Movement Organizations

Challenges for Women’s and Feminist Movements

Conclusion: Intersectional Resistance in the Post-Trump Era

Review Questions

Ambition Activities

Key Words

References

CHAPTER 10 • Conclusion

The First Step: Admit That Patriarchy Exists

The Second Step: Listen to Women’s Complaints and Take Their Anger Seriously

The Third Step: Understand the Roots of Women’s Anger

The Fourth Step: Monitor Progress and Backlash to Establish Priorities

The Fifth Step: Decide What to Do and Act

Review Questions

Ambition Activity

Key Words

References

Appendices

Appendix 1: Conducting Interviews

Appendix 2: Comparison

Index

“[Why Don’t Women Rule the World?] is unlike other texts in its comparative approach and strong theoretical underpinnings. It has interesting pedagogical features that will resonate with comparative scholars, Americanists and those who integrate public policy analysis into the course.”

Rebecca E. Deen

University of Texas at Arlington

Sample Materials & Chapters

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Jayne Cherie Strachan

Dr. J. Cherie Strachan (PhD, State University of New York at Albany, 2000) is Professor of Political Science at Central Michigan University. Her research addresses the effects of partisan polarization on elections, the role of civility in a democratic society, and the effect of college-level civic education interventions, deliberative forums, and campus organizations on students’ civic skills and identities. Her applied pedagogy research has resulted in on-going work with foundations such as the Kettering Foundation, The National Institute for Civil Discourse, and the American Democracy Project. Strachan currently serves... More About Author

Lori M. Poloni-Staudinger

Dr. Lori M. Poloni-Staudinger (PhD, Indiana University, 2005) is Associate Dean for research, personnel, and graduate programs in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and a Professor of Political Science at Northern Arizona University. Her research and publications focus on social movements, political contention and extra-institutional participation, and political institutions, mainly in Western Europe. Her recent work examines questions around women and political violence. She was a Distinguished Fulbright Fellow at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, Austria, and has served as a consultant for the Organization for Security and Co... More About Author

Shannon L. Jenkins

Dr. Shannon Jenkins (PhD, Loyola University Chicago, 2003) is a professor in the Department of Political Science and the Academic Director of Online Learning at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Her research and publications focus on decision making in U.S. state legislatures, with a specific interest in the role of political organizations and gender in shaping outputs in these institutions, and the impact of specific pedagogical practices on student learning outcomes in political science courses. She has been a Fulbright Lecturer at East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai in 2012 and at Yokohama National... More About Author

Candice D. Ortbals-Wiser

Candice D. Ortbals (PhD, Indiana University, 2004) is Professor of Political Science at Pepperdine University. Her publications relate to state feminism in Spain and gender and terrorism. She has been the newsletter editor, president-elect, and president of the Women’s Caucus of the Midwest Political Science Association. She also served as President for the National Women’s Caucus of Political Science. She has taught at the University of Seville, and she was winner of the Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics. She has also received numerous grants from the government of Spain to study women in regional and... More About Author